Errant
by Venator Noctis
Summary: Errant Redux. The strings of Destiny seldom play its part in the lives of men, yet when it does it plays a much larger part than Prophecy. The prophecy of the Girl-Who-Lived has begun. The destiny of the Wanderer is just beginning. The board is set, and the first piece has just begun to move. First in the Ascension Chronicles.


There was once a time when man would help their fellow man no just because it was the right thing to do, but because they loved one another. When kings were champions of the people; when they were leaders. Those days have faded into legend, and are now all but beyond reach. These days, the land is dying.

Once, the whole land was united under King Arthur, the "Pendragon". It was a prosperous time, peaceful and fulfilling. A true golden age; However no fire that is ignited does not one day splutter, and fade. The brighter the flame, the deeper the shadow. Such is the way of things, and for all of Arthur's considerable power and seemingly endless recourses, he was not spared from the natural cycle. Camelot fell, and scholars still argue over the cause. Some believe his people rose up against him. Others say his loyal knights betrayed him. Whatever the reason, Camelot fell and the land has been in conflict ever since. The woods began to die, and the once proud and stretching green pastures that played host to all of nature's beauty played witness to the horrors of man.

Fear and desperation are some of humanities strongest motivators. Greed, in conjunction with fear and desperation, can bring about terrible things. Great to be sure, but ultimately terrible things indeed. In fear of the political disunity, desperate for the safety from the creatures of old that Arthur had conquered and built his kingdom on, and the list for power gave birth to a twisted parody of the once great splendor of Camelot. So rose the battlefield's of Euro, and the land became soaked with red and horror as man turned on man; all vying for the Dragon Throne.

The struggle for the throne spread to the far corners of the world. In a desperate bid for the fighting to stop, Arthur's most trusted and father of magic, Merlin, believed that removing the temptation would end it. So he sealed the capital city of Vis and, with it, the Dragon Throne. The people fled as the stone statues that lined the streets came to life. Those who resisted were forced to leave. The gates were shut and sealed, and a fog of Merlin's own designed appeared around the city. It is said that the city would only be unlocked by the next true monarch of man. One who was worthy of the mantle. Man is stubborn however, and would not be denied. They gathered together, and set out for the city with the intent of laying siege. Those who did not get lost in the fog, were destroyed by the sentinels. The only survivors were men and women who were driven mad by the fog, and came out blabbering of creatures that devoured men in the fog.

Some believed that the city would be unlocked if they found Arthur's legendary sword Excalibur. Scores of men, the most famous among them being the great Knight Artorias. None have returned.

Despite the removal of the Throne, the fighting did not stop. Man never needed a reason to kill each other, not really. That didn't stop them from making excuses. Money. Power. Women. The excuses became as numerous and petty as the wars that were fought over time. The Throne was never truly forgotten however, and has appeared in legends and lore over the many years. It has been over 500 years since the golden age of Camelot, and even still the ruins of great cities from Camelot have yet to crumble away completely. Indeed some are even inhabited and used, and there is still the occasional pilgrim searching for the sword. Of course, none have returned. Well, the most committed haven't returned at least. Those who were faint of heart returned within a year or so.

In the recent years, two wars have been fought with the Throne at the heart of the conflict. First came Grindlewald, who originally only wanted the sword. Eventually it became his obsession, and even at the cost of many lives he would stop at nothing to get the sword. Eventually he was joined by many like-minded people, witches, wizards, and mundane alike flocking to him in search of the sword. Eventually their search led them to the ancient building of Azkaban. None knew what events that occurred there, only that when the party returned they returned in the grips of madness. It was then that dementors arose for the first time from the bowels of Azkaban, seeking the souls of humanity to satiate their unending hunger. With the dementors and allies behind him he waged war on the scattered countries of Euro. In fear for their own lives, all flocked to his banner. Fear will always influence man, and man was very afraid indeed of Grindlewald. Not everyone cowered in fear of him however. Man is stubborn, and most of all, loves to be free.

Thus rose the seven kingdoms of Euro. Merca to the west with its strong sense of unity and military. Saxo to the northwest, home to the fierce Saxons. Rusia a cold harsh land brimming with the strong hearted nordic men eager to defend their own freedom. To the Northeast lay the curious and exotic land of Sia, which was also made of islands and homeland to the honorable and mysterious Sami warriors. To the east was Germania, a land of wise men and powerful scholar wizards and was also the home of Grindlewald before his madness. To the south was Sautria, a desert land whose people idolized nature; especially the sun. At the heart of the new Euro was the greatest of them all: Britannia, home of the great city of Vis and birthplace of King Arthur himself. Some have even called it the birthplace of all of humanity.

For each of the seven kingdoms a crown was forged. Each crown represented the power of the respective kingdom and its people. These crowns were forged under the light of a full moon, in the fires lit at the center of Stonehenge which was a relic of Camelot and held power of the earth itself. Essentially they were forged in the "most magical place on Earth" and were to become he most powerful artifacts ever created by humanity. Upon their finish, they were granted to seven men.

To Lord Lincoln of Merca went the Eagle crown, a symbol of unity and the military power of his kingdom. To Master Wends of Saxo went the Horse crown, representing their horsemanship and pride. To great king Joseph of Rusia went the Bear crown, symbolizing the courageous hearts and the freedom that runs through the veins of every Nord of the north. To Sensai Wu-it went the Tiger crown, representing the gracefulness and mystique of the northeastern land of Sia. To Chancellor Hindenburg went the Owl crown, representing the wisdom of the powerful scholars of Germania to the east. To Minister Abbot of Sautria went the Lion crown their love for the sun. Finally, to Lord Albus Dumbledore bent the Phoenix crown, a symbol unending life and all that is light and good in this world as well as unending hope in the face of great evil. A symbol of great power indeed.

With the power of the crowns, the seven kingdoms bonded together and created an army to match Grindlewald. With Britannia at the front, the armies of Euro marched upon the fortress of Azkaban with their freedom hanging in the balance. The fighting was fierce. And the siege alone lasted almost a full year until finally, Albus Dumbledore struck Grindlewald down. Victory and freedom was theirs. After the battle, Azkaban was claimed on the name of Britannia and converted into a prison. The dementors, however, could not be banished. So Dumbledore used the power of the Crown to confine them to the prison, as well as sealing the lower levels of the prison, hoping to contain the evil within the depths of the prison. The prison has since played host to the de mentors, where they served as guards of the prisoners. The place was deemed "Hell on Earth" due to the dementors feeding on the souls of the prisoners. Upon his return to Britannia, Dumbledore relinquished the Phoenix crown quoting that "power should only be used when it is needed, not because one simply can". Others were not so quick to agree. Cornelius Fudge took the Phoenix crown, and for the first time since the fall of Camelot, Euro knew 50 years of hard-earned peace. It was not to last.

Over the years the kingdoms rebuilt, they also began to grow weary of the other. Not hostile, but wary. Almost as if they were afraid or envious of the others and their power, or afraid of invasion in their weakened state. And so the close connection the kingdoms had shared broke, isolating them from each other. Contact between the kingdoms became rare, with Merca and Sia cutting off contact with the others completely. No quarantine, just never sending word nor responding to sent messages.

The kingdoms had been stronger united, but they did not believe this. With the kingdoms watching each other with a wary eye, especially Britannia. Most kingdoms believed that Britannia would grow greedy, and once more begin to search for a way to open the great city of Vis and seek dominion. With the lack of trust between the kingdoms, their armies were raised and prepared for war. When war came, it came from Britannia. It was not, however, whom they were expecting.

The seven kingdoms were separated, and Britannia as a whole believed themselves the best which further isolated Britannia. The stage was set. A stage that Lord Voldemort not only appeared on, but dominated. It began with political warfare in the courts of the British between those who deemed themselves "pureblood" and those who were born into an originally muggle family. Eventually, the purebloods rose up with Lord Voldemort who preached their ideas. They believed that Voldemort would create a new Britannia. Voldemort's motives were much more sinister. Voldemort sought the domination of Euro. He began in Britannia, where he was born, knowing that it would receive no help from the other kingdoms. Sure enough, no help came. Anarchy had come to Britain.

While his subjects fought the war, Voldemort focused his attention on the city of Vis. He legend went that Voldemort entered the fog with a force of his "Death Eaters". Voldemort was the only one to return. He ended up searching through the first half of the war for a way to enter the city of Vis and claim the throne of Camelot. What he found was surely from the time of Camelot, but it was no throne. Before Voldemort could implement it however, Albus Dumbledore returned to the stage of Euro with the newly formed Order of the Phoenix behind him. Dumbledore took the fight to Voldemort, and the war became fierce. Eventually, Dumbledore and Voldemort faced off. His Death Eaters were routed, and Voldemort himself fled from Dumbledore in the battle of Hogsmade. Voldemort would not be beaten so easily, however.

A full year went by, with Britannia bleeding but keeping an eye out. Martial law was declared, and even the civilians found ways to contribute. Militias were formed as well. When Voldemort returned, Euro watched in horror as he unleashed his plan: Total Domination. From the Misty Mountains of Rusia came the trolls, and Rusia was under siege immediately. From Saxo came the wild men, those who were driven into exile to make room for the Saxons. Seeking revenge, they attacked the tribes of Saxo, vying for dominance of their homeland. Goblins rose up in Sautria, and the battles became fierce in the southern deserts. Finally, Voldemort unleashed his great host. Things that came from the time of Arthur; things that came from the dark of the Earth. Upon the land rose the Orc, and death rose with them. They came from seemingly every cave in each kingdom, and seemed endless. Death and ruin were upon Euro.

The situation seemed hopeless, until a prophecy was made concerning the Dark Lord. Voldemort's attention was diverted from dominion, to obsession. Eventually, his crazed eyes fell upon the Potter family. A powerful family that had defied him in the war, and were members of the Order and also held power in the British government. Voldemort began eradicating the family, until only a small family of 4 were left. On October the 31st, all Hallow's Eve, Voldemort attacked this small family. None know the events of that night, only that the family survived.

Voldemort, however, did not.

Credit was given to young Rosalyn Potter, a babe of only a year, for the vanquishing of Voldemort by Dumbledore himself. She was deemed the "girl-who-lived" and became famous across Euro. With the defeat of Lord Voldemort, his armies were quickly routed. The orcs proved the most difficult, but were eventually pushed back into the depths of the Earth. Euro was at peace, but the tale is not done.

Prophecy is always a little funny, in how it works. The human interpretation of destiny in all its glory. Prophecy and Destiny however, are never the same. Prophecy will tell you what someone will become. Destiny will decree what someone was born to become. Prophecy is a part of Destiny, and when Destiny is involved nothing is coincidence. Especially not the events of that night, nor the events that were set in motion as a result.

The board is set. Seventeen years later, the pieces have begun to move.


End file.
